City water staff told Elyria City Council on Dec. 1 that the city recorded 33 water-main breaks from September through November 2025, compared with 17 for that same period in 2024. Mister Rothgari, a water distribution representative, told council the increase reflects both lingering late-fall drought conditions earlier in the season and the onset of colder-weather "split" breaks that are common when temperatures fall.

Rothgari said the breaks are mostly spread across older parts of the city rather than concentrated in a single location, and he noted the influence of temperature and operational fluctuations at the pumping plant. "For 2025, which is September, October, and November, we have 33. Last year, for that same time, we had 17," he said. Councilmembers asked whether changes in plant operations or pressure could be contributing; Rothgari said he could not point to a specific pressure change but agreed to continue monitoring operations closely.

On lead service-line replacement, Rothgari said the city began Phase 5 this week and crews are replacing both the city and customer-side piping with copper. He cited a Phase 5 list of about 400 properties, with concentrations in St. Jude's area and parts of the Old Heights neighborhoods (Oxford and Cambridge streets). "We've got like a list of like 400 for this phase," he said. Law Director Deary and other officials later praised the team's work pursuing statewide loans and ensuring paperwork compliance for federal and state funds that support the program.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: water staff will continue tracking break patterns, follow up on whether flagged utility markings relate to gas-company work, and report operational or pressure findings to council at a future meeting.